It is common practice to cover patients with surgical drapes as they are undergoing surgical procedures on an operating table. Such drapes typically cover the patients as they are lying on the operating table in a reclined position, with the operating table elevating the patients to an approximately waist high level above the floor. The drape generally has a central portion covering both the patient and the top surface of the operating table, and lateral side portions that extend downwardly toward the floor on opposite sides of the central portion to cover the sides of the operating table.
Among other functions, surgical drapes are intended to provide a contamination barrier, and to maintain a sterile environment in the surgical operating zone above the drape. In the past, this goal of maintaining the sterility of this operating zone sometimes has been compromised by the use of table mounted retractor systems. Table mounted retractor systems typically include a vertically extending rail clamp that is attached to the side of the operating table. This rail clamp extends upwardly to a position above the patient where it supports the end of a horizontally extending cross bar. The cross bar extends above the patient's area of surgical interest and, in turn, adjustably supports a retractor.
When, as is desirable, the surgical drape extends downwardly over the side of the operating table, the rail clamp of a table mounted retractor system can be mounted either on top of or below the surgical drape. Either of these options has presented problems in the prior art. The clamps that are used to attach the rail clamp to the operating table over the drape produce a shearing force that cuts the drape material. On the other hand, attaching the rail clamp to the operating table under the drape, and pulling the drape up around the rail clamp, potentially brings contamination in the surgical field above the operating table surface. The only other option, cutting a hole in the drape, only is available for disposable drapes. Furthermore, even when holes are cut in the drape material for accommodating the retractor rail clamp, it commonly occurs that the hole is cut too largely, exposing the non-sterile area beneath the drape.